New face enters

school board race
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

Another incumbent and a newcomer filed for seats on the board of education this week.

Marsha Walpole is making her first run at public office, saying she had enjoyed her volunteer work at Cove Creek School and with the Friends of Watauga educational support group.

“It’s something I’ve thought about for a long time,” Walpole said. “We’re No. 2 in the state in SAT scores and I think we need to be No. 1. We have a lower dropout rate than the state average and I think we can improve that so every student finishes school in Watauga County.”

She said community partnerships were important in addressing broader issues that affected education.

“With many of our fine teachers nearing retirement age, I feel that we need to be proactive in recruiting and retaining good teachers in our county,” Walpole said.

“The cost of living in our county is high, and we need to make sure that young teachers are able to live here. We need to continue the great things for the next crop of kids to come along.”

Deborah Miller is seeking her second term on the school board.

“I just think we’ve got some unfinished business,” she said, noting that a number of teachers and principals were retiring and the school system needed a plan to replace them.

“We’ve got children in kindergarten whose jobs haven’t even been created yet and we need to prepare them,” she said. “I’d like to be part of that.”

Incumbent Steve Combs has filed for a third term on the school board, with three seats open. The top two finishers will get four-year terms and the third-place finisher will get a two-year term.

Incumbents Greg Horne of Boone, a former assistant district attorney, and Roy Alexander Lyerly of Banner Elk have filed for reelection as 24th District Court judges, with three seats open. The race is non-partisan and the district includes Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, Madison and Yancey counties.

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-5), N.C. Sen. Steve Goss (D-45) and N.C. Rep. Cullie Tarleton (D-93) have all filed for reelection and Boone dentist Jerry Butler as filed as a Republican challenger to Goss. Democrats Roy Carter of Ashe County and Diane Hamby of Iredell County have filed for the 5th District U.S. House of representatives seat.

Incumbent Republican JoAnn Townsend has filed for Register of Deeds, and Democratic commissioners Jim Deal and Winston Kinsey have filed for reelection.

The 2008 filing period ends at noon on Feb. 29. The primary is May 6 and General Election is Nov. 4.